King Henry the Fifth Part 20

_Flu._ I say, I will make him eat some part of my leek, or I will peat his pate four days.--Pite, I pray you; it is goot for you.

_Pist._ Must I bite?

_Flu._ Yes, certainly, and out of doubt, and out of questions too, and ambiguities.

_Pist._ By this leek, I will most horribly revenge: I eat, and eke I swear----

_Flu._ Eat, I pray you: Will you have some more sauce to your leek?

there is not enough leek to swear by.

_Pist._ Quiet thy cudgel; thou dost see I eat.

_Flu._ Much goot do you, scald knave, heartily. Nay, 'pray you, throw none away; the skin is goot for your proken c.o.xcomb. When you take occasions to see leeks hereafter, I pray you, mock at them; that is all.

_Pist._ Good.

_Flu._ Ay, leeks is goot:--Hold you, there is a groat to heal your pate.

_Pist._ Me a groat!

_Flu._ Yes, verily and in truth, you shall take it; or I have another leek in my pocket, which you shall eat.

_Pist._ I take thy groat in earnest of revenge.

_Flu._ If I owe you any thing, I will pay you in cudgels. Heaven be wi'

you, and keep you, and heal your pate.

[_Exit L.H._

_Pist._ (_crosses to L.H.) All h.e.l.l shall stir for this.

[_Crosses to R.H._

_Gow._ Go, go; you are a counterfeit cowardly knave. Will you mock at an ancient tradition,--begun upon an honourable respect, and worn as a memorable trophy of predeceased valour,--and dare not avouch in your deeds any of your words? I have seen you gleeking[4] and galling at this gentleman twice or thrice. You thought, because he could not speak English in the native garb, he could not therefore handle an English cudgel: you find it otherwise; and henceforth let a Welsh correction teach you a good English condition.[5] Fare ye well.

[_Exit, L.H._

_Pist._ Doth fortune play the huswife[6] with me now?

Old I do wax; and from my weary limbs Honour is cudgell'd.

To England will I steal: And patches will I get unto these scars, And swear, I got them in the Gallia wars.

[_Exit, R.H._

[Footnote V.1: _To have me fold up, &c._] Dost thou desire to have me put thee to death.]

[Footnote V.2: _----a squire of low degree._] That is, _I will bring thee to the ground._]

[Footnote V.3: _----astonished him._] That is, you have stunned him with the blow.]

SCENE II.--INTERIOR OF THE CATHEDRAL AT TROYES IN CHAMPAGNE.

_Trumpets sound. Enter, at one door, U.E.L.H., KING HENRY,(A) BEDFORD, GLOSTER, EXETER, WARWICK, WESTMORELAND, and other Lords; at another, U.E.R.H., the FRENCH KING, QUEEN ISABEL, the PRINCESS KATHARINE,[7](B) Lords, Ladies, &c., the Duke of BURGUNDY, and his Train. The two parties, French and English, are divided by barriers._

_K. Hen._ (L.C.) Peace to this meeting, wherefore we are met![8]

Unto our brother France,--and to our sister, Health and fair time of day;--joy and good wishes To our most fair and princely cousin Katharine; And (as a branch and member of this royalty, By whom this great a.s.sembly is contriv'd,) We do salute you, duke of Burgundy;-- And, princes French, and peers, health to you all!

[_All the French party bow to KING HENRY._

_Fr. King._ (R.C.) Right joyous are we to behold your face, Most worthy brother England; fairly met:-- So are you, princes English, every one.

_Q. Isa._ (_R. of F. KING._) So happy be the issue, brother England, Of this good day, and of this gracious meeting, As we are now glad to behold your eyes; Your eyes, which hitherto have borne in them Against the French, that met them in their bent, The fatal b.a.l.l.s of murdering basilisks:[9]

The venom of such looks, we fairly hope, Have lost their quality; and that this day Shall change all griefs and quarrels into love.

_K. Hen._ To cry amen to that, thus we appear.

_Q.Isa._ You English princes all, I do salute you.

[_All the English party bow to QUEEN ISABELLA._

_Bur._ (R.) My duty to you both, on equal love, Great kings of France and England!

Let it not disgrace me, If I demand, before this royal view, What rub or what impediment there is, Why that the naked, poor, and mangled peace Dear nurse of arts, plenties, and joyful births, Should not, in this best garden of the world, Our fertile France, put up her lovely visage?

_K. Hen._ If, duke of Burgundy, you would the peace, Which you have cited, you must buy that peace With full accord to all our just demands; Whose tenours and particular effects You have, enschedul'd briefly, in your hands.

_Fr. King._ I have but with a cursorary eye O'er-glanc'd the articles: pleaseth your grace To appoint some of your council presently To sit with us once more, with better heed To re-survey them, we will suddenly Pa.s.s our accept and peremptory answer.[10]

_K. Hen._ Brother, we shall.--Go, uncle Exeter,-- And brother Bedford,--and you, brother Gloster,-- Warwick,--and Huntingdon,--go with the king; And take with you free power, to ratify, Augment, or alter, as your wisdoms best Shall see advantageable for our dignity, And we'll consign thereto.--

[_Barriers removed. The English Lords, EXETER, BEDFORD, GLOSTER, WARWICK, and HUNTINGDON, cross to the KING OF FRANCE, and exeunt afterwards with him._

Will you, fair sister, Go with the princes, or stay here with us?

_Q. Isa._ Our gracious brother, I will go with them: Haply a woman's voice may do some good, When articles too nicely urg'd be stood on.

_K. Hen._ Yet leave our cousin Katharine here with us: She is our capital demand, compris'd Within the fore rank of our articles.

_Q. Isa._ She hath good leave.

[_Trumpets sound._

[_Exeunt all through gates, L.E.R. and L., but HENRY, KATHARINE, and her Gentlewomen._

_K. Hen._ (L.C.) Fair Katharine, and most fair!

Will you vouchsafe to teach a soldier terms, Such as will enter at a lady's ear, And plead his love-suit to her gentle heart?

_Kath._ (R.C.) Votre majeste shall mock at me; I cannot speak votre Anglais.